Parents often remind children to be thankful for a roof over their head. While this saying is mostly an idiom there is some truth to it, as your home’s roof is one of the biggest exterior investments you will make. Because your roof is such a big and important investment, you want to make sure that you trust the right roofing company to install, maintain, and repair your roof when needed. You’ve probably seen various roofing companies and roofers travel door-to-door trying to sell you on getting a new roof right away. Large storms that bring heavy winds, rain, and hail are generally followed by these types of tactics from roofing contractors, and you — as a homeowner — need to be cautious…very cautious.

At Express Roofing, providing decades of quality and reliable roofing services in Mesa, Phoenix, and the surrounding area is why we possess a dependable reputation with our clients. We know that there are roofing companies out there just looking to take advantage of you, and our local roofers don’t want to let that happen! Replacing your roof is a major investment – you don’t want to pay for it when it’s not necessary. Furthermore, when you do pay for a new roof, it needs to be installed by a roofing company that offers high-quality workmanship and service.

It Takes More Than Searching ‘Roofing Companies Near Me’ Online

When you roofing services, you need to do more than just searching Google for ‘roofers near me’ or trusting the first roofing contractor that knocks on your door after a major storm. You really need to take the time and do your research. Unfortunately, there are many “roofing companies” out there who give hard-working roofers a bad name. In order to help protect you from becoming a victim to these scammers, we’ve compiled a list of common scams and how to avoid them.

Storm Chasers

A major storm is something a lot of scam roofers look forward to. Why? Because they use bad weather events in search of damaged roofs. Often referred to in the industry as “storm chasers” these roofers will travel door-to-door, passing out brochures and offering to repair or replace roofs that appear to have sustained damage or, in some cases, roofs that are not damaged at all. These roofers are also notorious for promising huge discounts by filing an insurance claim after a big storm.

Beware though, the work done by these roofers is typically poor. Their goal is to replace as many roofs as they can in an area for as little cost as possible and then jump ship. The longevity of these heedlessly-assembled roofs may be half that of a well-constructed roof, or even less.

HOW TO AVOID STORM CHASERS

When it comes to dealing with these roofers, the most important thing to do is not to rush into anything. These roofing companies will do whatever they can to take advantage of you, insisting that work must be done immediately. They’ll often show up at your door unannounced and mention that they’ve just finished repairing another roof nearby, have the materials needed, and can give you a really great deal. Rather than jump right in, the key is to take your time, ask to see proof of insurance, and references of past clients, verify their license, and pay a visit to their website to ensure they are legit.

The Initial Low Bidders

Many roofing scammers try to take advantage of the fact that most homeowners and building owners don’t replace their roofs very often. One way they do this is by offering you an alluring low price, one that’s often far lower than any other competitor in your area. The price is so low, it seems too good to be true, and that’s because it is! While the initial price seems low, once work begins it will likely creep up due to “unsuspected issues” and inflated material costs. While the costs of roofing materials do fluctuate, a contractor shouldn’t attempt to increase the price for materials in the middle of your project.

HOW TO AVOID ROOFERS WHO GIVE INITIAL LOW BIDS

Research. Research. Research. Rather than just dealing with a potential scammer, make sure to contact various roofers for estimates. Before any of the work begins, you need to discuss everything with your roofing contractor, including any possible curveballs in your contract — ask these companies for one price that includes both labor and materials. If one roofing company is offering prices that are drastically lower than others, it should raise some concern.

The Roofers With Damaged Tactics

When you pull into your driveway, your roof seems like it is in acceptable shape — even after a big storm. Then, before you know it, there is a roofer knocking at your door telling you that they noticed some serious damage on your roof. While some experienced roofers have a trained eye for spotting damage, many can’t do it by a simple drive-by and are likely trying to scam you. They will point out some vague damage that you can’t really see but insist that is a high priority repair. Some roofers will claim that there is damage to a roof when there’s actually none at all, or certainly not enough damage to justify a complete roof replacement. Others will even have the guts to offer a roof inspection and then create damage themselves! It’s these type of roofing companies that disgust us and are soiling the reputation of the roofing industry.

HOW TO AVOID DAMAGE TACTICS

Be leary of the good-samaritan-roofer who just so happened to be driving past your home and noticed some serious roof damage. If you think there is something to their claims of damage, it doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion. Under no circumstances whatsoever should you let a stranger on your roof, or should you sign a contract based on an out-of-the-blue, high-pressure sales approach.

The Insurance Frauder

Perhaps the most serious roofing scam, there are many ways an illegitimate roofer can attempt to commit insurance fraud. One way they try to scam you is by submitting two separate invoices. They will submit a lower invoice to homeowners and one to the insurance company at a substantially higher invoice amount. This screams insurance fraud, and if prosecuted could mean trouble for you. Some scam roofing contractors will even claim to get enough money back from over-billing your insurance company to reimburse your deductible.

HOW TO AVOID ROOFERS WHO COMMIT INSURANCE FRAUD

The best way to avoid roofers attempting insurance fraud is to listen carefully to what the roofers coming to your door are offering. If a contractor offers to pay your insurance deductible or offers other no-cost incentives, these can be signs of fraud. To reduce the risk of fraud, hop online and read some customer reviews for the company. If customers have had mostly a positive experience, chances are it is safe to let them work on your roof.

Roofing Contractors You Can Trust

It is important to be cautious of scam contractors for any home improvement project, especially when it comes to roofing. Keep in mind, not all roofing contractors are looking to take advantage of you! There are some that are genuinely passionate about providing homeowners with the best roofing services. To avoid scam roofers, be sure you work with a licensed roofer that has years of experience serving your area. Those that are rooted within your community are generally the ones you can trust to provide you with the service you need!

Don’t be the next victim of these roofing scammers. Take time, do your research, and make sure that the claims these roofers are making are true. At Express Roofing, we’re proud of our reputation for skill, safety, and reliability. Our skilled roofing contractors build trust and peace of mind into every roof we work on! To request an estimate, contact us!

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Professional, great workmanship, great service and the work was completed on time. I was impressed with the drone they used to take before, during, and after videos that I was able to view from the co…Read More

These guys do QUALITY WORK in a PROFESSIONAL manner. You get what you pay for and it's a good thing with Express Roofing because they pack in so much value! They will over communicate job status. They…Read More

I would highly recommend Express Roofing LLC to anyone looking for an honest roofing company, at a competitive price. They finished our roof and patio roof in 3.5 days and their customer service was s…Read More